Australia's Pure Battery Technologies Plans Rp 6.29 Trillion Battery Precursor Plant in Indonesia

The Indonesian government is strengthening the downstreaming of the national nickel industry through an investment plan by Australian material processing company Pure Battery Technologies (PBT). The company intends to build a precursor Cathode Active Material (pCAM) facility, with an investment value of approximately US$350 million, equivalent to Rp 6.29 trillion. Deputy Minister for Investment and Downstreaming Todotua Pasaribu stated that this investment is crucial for completing the national nickel downstream value chain, particularly in the midstream stage, which involves producing precursor for electric vehicle batteries. Pasaribu made the remarks after meeting PBT Chairman Stephen Wilmot and Director of the Indonesia Investment Promotion Center (IIPC) Sydney, Leidy Surianingrat. “Indonesia already has HPAL and will soon have battery cell manufacturing. The remaining link is pCAM and cathodes. This is precisely where investment like Pure Battery Technologies becomes crucial to complete the integrated battery ecosystem,” Pasaribu said. The planned facility will utilise Mixed Hydroxide Precipitate (MHP) supplied from domestic High Pressure Acid Leach (HPAL) facilities, with the long-term goal of establishing pCAM production in Indonesia. The battery precursor stage currently represents a missing link in Indonesia’s nickel industry and is one of the highest value-creation points in the chain, where material value can increase significantly from MHP to battery precursor. By developing the pCAM industry domestically, Indonesia aims to capture this added value within the country rather than overseas. IIPC Sydney Director Leidy Surianingrat affirmed the centre’s commitment to facilitating the investment process, including coordination with potential strategic partners and relevant government stakeholders to support the project’s realisation.